[서울신문] “South Africa’s mutant corona 19 virus may not be effective in existing vaccines”

A study found that antibodies that were infected with the initial novel coronavirus infection (Corona 19) or after vaccination may be susceptible to a mutant virus that originated in South Africa.

This means that whenever major mutations occur, new vaccines may need to be developed and boosted. However, the test must be further conducted until the research results are verified.

On the 22nd (local time), the Wall Street Journal of the United States reported that the vaccine jointly developed by Bioentech and Pfizer has been proven to be effective against mutant viruses originating in the UK, but there are no proven results for mutant viruses in South Africa.

This mutant Corona 19 study was conducted with the corona 19 virus cultured in a laboratory and blood drawn from subjects who were initially infected with Corona 19.

WSJ said that it is a stage before the official paper is published, and if the results of clinical trials in the UK and South Africa come out within a few weeks, it is possible to accurately determine how effective the vaccine is against mutant COVID-19.

To date, mutations originating in South Africa have been found in 22 countries, including Canada, China, and Germany.

Researchers in South Africa have confirmed that the mutant virus completely neutralizes or is rarely affected by antibodies formed by infection with the existing Corona 19.

The study was conducted by confirming the antibody and mutant Corona 19 virus reaction results obtained from patients infected in the first outbreak.

Another study in South Africa focused on the mutant virus’s spike protein, and it was reported that 21 out of 44 antibodies from early COVID-19 infected people failed to fight the mutant virus.

The researchers concluded that, along with the possibility of reinfection of Corona 19, the effectiveness of existing vaccines manufactured by neutralizing the spike protein on the surface of the virus may be less effective.

Apart from the study in South Africa, Rockefeller University and California Institute of Technology in the United States conducted a study by extracting blood from Pfizer and Moder or vaccinators.

Studies have shown that three major mutant viruses from South Africa can significantly reduce the effectiveness of antibodies formed by vaccination.

Researchers in the United States said that the virus situation should continue to be reflected so that the vaccines from Pfizer and Modena do not diminish.

Reporter Lim Hyo-jin [email protected]